killbilly
Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens
Been meaning to write this for a while. Finally jotted it down...
It’s been about a year and around 200 hours of dual-given - I’m a part-timer so I don’t fly nearly as much as the full time guys. I’ve been lucky to have some outstanding mentors - some here on JC and some in my flight school. For those of you pursuing CFI - here’s some things I’ve learned in the first 200 hours. I’m *still* learning new things, every single day.
Each Student Is Different. Act Accordingly - you have to be a chameleon, blending into the right context that the student needs to learn from you. Some need and want you to be clinical, distant and exacting. Others need you to be more of a buddy. Your job is to figure out what they need from you to learn. You may not be able to do this, especially right away. And that’s okay. If they want to fly with another instructor because they get along better with someone else, that’s perfectly fine. There will be plenty of others who come to you for the same reason. Be who you are, play to your strengths and that will ultimately be better for you and your student.
You Will Make Mistakes. Own them. - Students, like small children, pick up on a lot of stuff, even if they don’t say anything. If you goof, swallow your pride and tell them you goofed, tell them *how* and *why* you goofed, and then fix the situation. I had a couple of really embarrassing gaffes in the first couple of months, one of which led to a lengthy discussion and lesson about situational awareness and the tools we use to maintain it. Ended up being a great lesson I’ve since used with others. Your mistakes are outstanding opportunities to teach.
Be Opportunistic - When the weather turns sour, it’s time for a lesson on Wx. When the winds are strong and gusty, use that to do ground reference maneuvers. Got a discrepancy with the paperwork on the airplane? Let’s go ahead and look at logbooks and inspections too. Use the situation you have to teach something meaningful. The student doesn’t know what’s important and what isn’t, and they’re delighted when you give them something real and practical - especially if you can use it to break up the routine.
Your Students Will Do Exactly What You Tell Them To - especially your newbies. If you give an instruction and the outcome is unexpected, then you either weren’t clear with the instruction or the student has some barrier that you need to address before the instruction is clear to them. This is *especially* true of your students who may be thinking in one language and translating to the language you’re teaching in. In my case, English.
Your Students Will Do What You Do - they will notice if you go flying without checking weather or NOTAMs. They will notice if you blow off a piece of broken equipment…even if it’s legitimately deferred, they should understand why. If you find yourself about to do something like skip a checklist, stop and ask yourself if you want your student doing the same thing. Because they absolutely will.
“I don’t like Stalls/Right Hand Patterns/Ground Reference” - is code for “I need help with understanding and working on this….” - if there is anxiety or stress related to a specific task, it’s time to go back to your fundamentals and train the aversion out of the student.
Training Airplanes Break. Know the FARs - you should know the flow of how to determine what equipment can and cannot be deferred, how to handle it, and more importantly, how to explain the process to your student. You may have resources to ask - your Chief, other instructors - but you ultimately make the decisions. This simultaneously protects your certificates and teaches the student proper decision making.
Listen To The Little Voice - if the Little Voice says your student is ready, listen to it. If the voice says “nope, don’t solo them” then don’t. Unsure? Go over it with a more experienced instructor. You’ll find usually the voice is right.
You Are Redefining Someone’s Image Of Themselves - take it seriously - they may forget old loves and distant relatives, but they will never forget the things you say and do to teach them. You wield far more power to shape them than you realize - wield it gently. A little coaching, patience and encouragement go a long way. Heaps of praise when they do something good is mandatory. Quiet coaching and correction when they’re not.
I could write thousands of words more, but these are the most significant things that come to mind right now.
It’s been about a year and around 200 hours of dual-given - I’m a part-timer so I don’t fly nearly as much as the full time guys. I’ve been lucky to have some outstanding mentors - some here on JC and some in my flight school. For those of you pursuing CFI - here’s some things I’ve learned in the first 200 hours. I’m *still* learning new things, every single day.
Each Student Is Different. Act Accordingly - you have to be a chameleon, blending into the right context that the student needs to learn from you. Some need and want you to be clinical, distant and exacting. Others need you to be more of a buddy. Your job is to figure out what they need from you to learn. You may not be able to do this, especially right away. And that’s okay. If they want to fly with another instructor because they get along better with someone else, that’s perfectly fine. There will be plenty of others who come to you for the same reason. Be who you are, play to your strengths and that will ultimately be better for you and your student.
You Will Make Mistakes. Own them. - Students, like small children, pick up on a lot of stuff, even if they don’t say anything. If you goof, swallow your pride and tell them you goofed, tell them *how* and *why* you goofed, and then fix the situation. I had a couple of really embarrassing gaffes in the first couple of months, one of which led to a lengthy discussion and lesson about situational awareness and the tools we use to maintain it. Ended up being a great lesson I’ve since used with others. Your mistakes are outstanding opportunities to teach.
Be Opportunistic - When the weather turns sour, it’s time for a lesson on Wx. When the winds are strong and gusty, use that to do ground reference maneuvers. Got a discrepancy with the paperwork on the airplane? Let’s go ahead and look at logbooks and inspections too. Use the situation you have to teach something meaningful. The student doesn’t know what’s important and what isn’t, and they’re delighted when you give them something real and practical - especially if you can use it to break up the routine.
Your Students Will Do Exactly What You Tell Them To - especially your newbies. If you give an instruction and the outcome is unexpected, then you either weren’t clear with the instruction or the student has some barrier that you need to address before the instruction is clear to them. This is *especially* true of your students who may be thinking in one language and translating to the language you’re teaching in. In my case, English.
Your Students Will Do What You Do - they will notice if you go flying without checking weather or NOTAMs. They will notice if you blow off a piece of broken equipment…even if it’s legitimately deferred, they should understand why. If you find yourself about to do something like skip a checklist, stop and ask yourself if you want your student doing the same thing. Because they absolutely will.
“I don’t like Stalls/Right Hand Patterns/Ground Reference” - is code for “I need help with understanding and working on this….” - if there is anxiety or stress related to a specific task, it’s time to go back to your fundamentals and train the aversion out of the student.
Training Airplanes Break. Know the FARs - you should know the flow of how to determine what equipment can and cannot be deferred, how to handle it, and more importantly, how to explain the process to your student. You may have resources to ask - your Chief, other instructors - but you ultimately make the decisions. This simultaneously protects your certificates and teaches the student proper decision making.
Listen To The Little Voice - if the Little Voice says your student is ready, listen to it. If the voice says “nope, don’t solo them” then don’t. Unsure? Go over it with a more experienced instructor. You’ll find usually the voice is right.
You Are Redefining Someone’s Image Of Themselves - take it seriously - they may forget old loves and distant relatives, but they will never forget the things you say and do to teach them. You wield far more power to shape them than you realize - wield it gently. A little coaching, patience and encouragement go a long way. Heaps of praise when they do something good is mandatory. Quiet coaching and correction when they’re not.
I could write thousands of words more, but these are the most significant things that come to mind right now.
